Greater Manchester

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies of his Department and its predecessors since 1997.

Barbara Follett: My Department does not routinely collect information at constituency level but, as the constituency of Manchester, Gorton falls within the local authority of Manchester we have, where relevant, included information from them in this answer.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources.
	This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/
	Communities and Local Government statistical publications can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/research andstatistics/statistics/
	This includes time series data across the Department's remit at various geographic levels.
	Details of research projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and its predecessors are available from our Research Database (RD) at:
	http://www.rmd.communities.gov.uk/
	This includes evaluations of key policies.
	Over the last year, Communities and Local Government has:
	Played a critical role responding to the recession ensuring people, business and communities receive the practical help they need, including: helping people avoid repossession; Real Help Now; supporting the construction industry, critical regeneration projects, jobs through Future Jobs Fund; and businesses with the business rates deferral scheme.
	Set in place a platform for greater local devolution for more effective decision making through local area agreements (LAAs)-including slashing central performance standards from over 1,200 to fewer than 200.
	Continued building on this through Total Place pilots, leading innovation across public services-cutting out waste, overlap and duplication, meaning more and belter quality services at less cost to the taxpayer.
	Established the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) set out in the Planning Act 2008-which will make the major Infrastructure Planning decisions for) the country, delivering a faster, fairer and more transparent planning regime.
	Announced the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to deliver an additional 20,000 units of affordable housing, creating 45,000 jobs in the construction industry over this year and next, including 1,300 new apprenticeship schemes.
	Last year there were 330 additional affordable homes provided by Manchester local authority. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1406085.xls
	During the period since 1997, the Department's achievements include:
	Working with local housing authorities to reduce the number of people accepted as owed a main homelessness duty by 71 per cent. since the peak in 2003-the lowest level since the late seventies-through greater emphasis on the prevention of homelessness.
	In 2008-09, there were 539 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in Manchester local authority compared to 2,688 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in 2002-03. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141476.xls
	Launching the Local Government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" which set out a new stage of public sector reform, significantly strengthening leadership and devolving power to local government as well as providing a major expansion of opportunities for local people to influence local decision-making and improve their lives.
	Helping reduce accidental fire-related deaths-the lowest level since 1959.
	In 2008-09, there were 12 accidental fire related deaths in Greater Manchester, compared to 28 accidental fire relate deaths in 2001-02. At the local level, fire deaths may fluctuate within a general declining national trend. See link for further information (Table 4b):
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1403049.xls
	Reducing by 1.2 million the number of non decent social homes
	As at 1 April 2009, there were 7,201 non-decent dwellings in Manchester local authority, compared to 40,586 non decent dwellings at 1 April 2001. See links for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1393612.xls
	(2008-09 data)
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141950.xls
	(2001-02 data)
	Investing through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund £1.87 billion for England's 88 most deprived local authorities-leading to real positive change.

Hackney

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997.

Barbara Follett: The Department does not routinely collect information at constituency level as far back as to 1997. The constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency falls within the London borough of Hackney and therefore where relevant information is available, this has been included in the answer.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/
	Communities and Local Government statistical publications can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/research andstatistics/statistics/
	This includes time series data across the Department's remit at various geographic levels.
	Details of research projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and its predecessors are available from our Research Database (RD) at:
	http://www.rmd.communities.gov.uk/
	This includes evaluations of key policies.
	Over the last year, Communities and Local Government has:
	Played a critical role responding to the recession ensuring people, business and communities receive the practical help they need, including: helping people avoid repossession; Real Help Now; supporting the construction industry, critical regeneration projects, jobs through Future Jobs Fund; and businesses with the business rates deferral scheme.
	Set in place a platform for greater local devolution for more effective decision-making through Local Area Agreements (LAAs)-including slashing central performance standards from over 1,200 to fewer than 200.
	Continued building on this through Total Place pilots, leading innovation across public services-cutting out waste, overlap and duplication, meaning more and better quality services at less cost to the taxpayer.
	Established the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) set out in the Planning Act 2008-which will make the major infrastructure planning decisions for the country, delivering a faster, fairer and more transparent planning regime.
	Announced the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to deliver an additional 20,000 units of affordable housing, creating 45,000 jobs in the construction industry over this year and next, including 1,300 new apprenticeship schemes.
	Last year there were 990 additional affordable homes provided by the London borough of Hackney, compared to 709 additional affordable homes provided in 1996-97. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1406085.xls
	During the period since 1997, the Department's achievements include:
	Working with local housing authorities to reduce the number of people accepted as owed a main homelessness duty by 71 per cent. since the peak in 2003-the lowest level since the late seventies-through greater emphasis on the prevention of homelessness.
	In 2008-09, there were 615 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in the London borough of Hackney compared to 1,136 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in 2002-03. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141476.xls
	Launching the Local Government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" which set out a new stage of public sector reform, significantly strengthening leadership and devolving power to local government as well as providing a major expansion of opportunities for local people to influence local decision-making and improve their lives.
	Helping reduce accidental fire-related deaths-the lowest level since 1959.
	In 2008-09, there were 30 accidental fire related deaths in Greater London, compared to 56 accidental fire related deaths in 2001-02. See link for further information (Table 4b):
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1403049.xls
	Reducing by 1.2 million the number of non-decent social homes.
	As at 1 April 2009, there were 7,326 non-decent dwellings in the London borough of Hackney, compared to 26,649 non-decent dwellings as at 1 April 2001. See links for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1393612.xls
	(2008009 data)
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/142466.xls
	(2001-02 data)
	Investing through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund £1.87 billion for England's 88 most deprived local authorities-leading to real positive change.

Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessor since 2000.

Barbara Follett: My Department does not routinely collect information at constituency level but, as the constituency of Stroud falls within the local authority of Stroud we have, where relevant, included information from them in this answer.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/
	Communities and Local Government statistical publications can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/research andstatistics/statistics/
	This includes time series data across the Department's remit at various geographic levels.
	Details of research projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and its predecessors are available from our Research Database (RD) at:
	http://www.rmd.communities.gov.uk/
	This includes evaluations of key policies.
	Over the last year, Communities and Local Government has:
	Played a critical role responding to the recession ensuring people, business and communities receive the practical help they need, including: helping people avoid repossession; Real Help Now; supporting the construction industry, critical regeneration projects, jobs through Future Jobs Fund; and businesses with the business rates deferral scheme.
	Set in place a platform for greater local devolution for more effective decision making through local area agreements (LAAs)-including slashing central performance standards from over 1,200 to fewer than 200.
	Continued building on this through Total Place pilots, leading innovation across public services-cutting out waste, overlap and duplication, meaning more and better quality services at less cost to the taxpayer.
	Established the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) set out in the Planning Act 2008-which will make the major Infrastructure Planning decisions for the country, delivering a faster, fairer and more transparent planning regime.
	Announced the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to deliver an additional 20,000 units of affordable housing, creating 45,000 jobs in the construction industry over this year and next, including 1,300 new apprenticeship schemes.
	Last year there were 70 additional affordable homes provided by Stroud local authority compared to 50 additional affordable homes provided in 2000-01. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1406085.xls
	During the period since 1997, the Department's achievements include:
	Working with local housing authorities to reduce the number of people accepted as owed a main homelessness duty by 71 per cent. since the peak in 2003-the lowest level since the late seventies-through greater emphasis on the prevention of homelessness.
	In 2008-09, there were 22 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in Stroud local authority compared to 89 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in 2002-03. See link for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141476.xls
	Launching the Local Government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" which set out a new stage of public sector reform, significantly strengthening leadership and devolving power to local government as well as providing a major expansion of opportunities for local people to influence local decision-making and improve their lives.
	Helping reduce accidental fire-related deaths-the lowest level since 1959.
	In 2007-08, there were five accidental fire related deaths in Gloucestershire, compared to two accidental fire relate deaths in 2001-02. At the local level, fire deaths may fluctuate within a general declining national trend. See link for further information (Table 4b):
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1403049.xls
	Reducing by 1.2 million the number of non decent social homes
	As at 1 April 2009, there were 625 non-decent dwellings in Stroud local authority, compared to 1,895 non decent dwellings at 1 April 2001. See links for further information:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1393612.xls
	(2008-09 data)
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/142016.xls
	(2001-02 data)
	Investing through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund £1.87 billion for England's 88 most deprived local authorities-leading to real positive change.

Armed Forces: Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence  (a) how many S-92 helicopters his Department plans to procure for the UK-based search and rescue helicopter task and  (b) where those helicopters will be based.

Quentin Davies: The future joint Ministry of Defence/Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MOD/MCA) Search and Rescue Helicopter service will be provided by the contractor Soteria under a service contract - MOD/MCA will not be procuring any helicopters. It will be the contractor's responsibility to ensure, throughout
	the life of the contract, that they have sufficient helicopters to meet the requirement to be able to field one helicopter to incidents from each base during its operating hours. The helicopters will be based at RAF Boulmer, RMB Chivenor, RNAS Culdrose, Glasgow Airport, Leconfield, Lee On Solent, RAF Lossiemouth, Portland, Storaoway, Sumburgh, RAF Valley and Wattisham Airfield.

Joint Strike Fighter

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Quentin Davies: The Government remain committed to the Joint Strike Fighter as stated by the then Secretary of State on 18 March 2009, Offi cial Report, column 54WS, on the approval lo purchase three Joint Strike Fighters to allow the UK to participate in Operational Test & Evaluation in the US. The Joint Strike Fighter remains the optimum solution to the UK's Joint Combat Aircraft requirement as part of our Carrier Strike programme. We have not made further investment decisions at this stage and cannot, therefore, announce overall numbers, variants or the in-service date.